USITC Rejects US Anti-Dumping Duty on Electrical Steel Imports

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) said that the industry has not suffered materially, and for the foreseeable future does not see any danger from the import of textured electrical steel from countries such as the Czech Republic, Russia, South Korea and China.

The US Department of Commerce concluded that imports of alloy steel flat products, commonly known as GOES, and mainly used in the power industry, from these four countries are currently selling at a lower price than the current product price in the US market, which would be harm internal trade.

However, the US International Trade Commission voted against the US Department of Commerce's decision. Therefore, anti-dumping or other types of tax will not be imposed on the import of steel products from these countries. Official government data for 2013 showed that the value of imports from these four countries was $ 23.3 billion.

The US Department of Commerce has launched an investigation based on the statements of two leading US steel producers AK Steel Corporation and Allegheny Ludlum. The US steel industry is in a tough spot as global steel production capacity is in surplus and the industry has reported a net loss over the past five years, and companies are therefore calling for protection from cheaper imports.

In the year 2013 and early 2014, the US steel industry filed for about 40 anti-dumping and countervailing duties. According to the Economic Policy Institute, complaints were filed for imports from 18 different countries, for 9 different products. According to US official data, imports of steel products from China in 2013 were estimated at about $ 5.4 million.